Horse-collar



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. W. ROSS.

HORSE COLLAR. No. 493,299. Patented Mar. 14, 1893.

{No Model.) .3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. W. ROSS. HORSE COLLAR.

Np. 493,299. I Patented Mar. 14, 1893.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY V. ROSS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

HORSE-COLLAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,299, dated March14, 1893.

Application filed August 28, 1891. Serial No.'403,946- (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY W. Ross, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Ham-pden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inHorse-Collars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in collars for horses, the samebeing especially designed for fire-horses, and to have capabilities forinsuring the most ready and rapid disposition and automatic securing orlocking of the collar about the neck of the horse, when dispatch isnecessary, as on the sounding of a fire alarm.

The invention consists in the combination or arrangement of parts, andthe construction of certain of the parts all substantially as willhereinafter more fully appearand be set forth in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which the improved horsecollaris illustrated,-Figure 1 is a front View of the collar shown assuspended with the parts thereof opened or separated. Fig.2 isa frontview of the collar closed. Fig. 3 is a view on a larger scale ofportions of the hames and appurtenances which are comprised as parts ofthe collar shown in section and in the rela tions as assumed when thecollar is closed. Fig. 4 is an inner face view of one of the metallicstrips or bushings which directly constitutes one member of the hinge.Fig. 5 isa View of portions shown in Fig. 4, but in their openedrelations. Fig. 6 isaperspective view of the supporting device for thesuspension strap. Fig. 7 is a view on a scale similar to Fig. 3 showingin section the lower extremities of the hames, and confining appliancestherefor. Fig. 8 is abo-ttom plan view of one of the hame extremitiesand a sectional view on the line 8 8 Fig.7. Fig. 9 isarepresentation inperspective of the casting for one of the hame extremities whichcomprises the socket and catch devices for receiving and engaging theextension of the other hame.

In the drawings, A represents the collar as a whole,-and, regarded asapart thereof, are the hames, B B, which are secured to the cushionedportions, a, of the collar by riveting or otherwise. Each hame at itsupper extremity, and on its inner side, has rigidly connected thereto arigid metallic strip, 1), the same being secured by the bolts, e, whichare passed through the thickness of the hame and through the slots, 0,which are formed lengthwise in said strips, the heads of the bolts lyingupon the face of the said strips at the borders of the slots and receiveat their outer extremities the nuts, 6. The said strips are upwardlyextended beyond the ends of the hames and are hinge-jointed as at d; andthe collar at the lower extremity of each side portion thereof whichcomprises one of the said hames has means for engagement with thecorresponding portion of the other hame which will be hereinafterdescribed in detail.

The side members, x 00, of the collar have, intermediately thereof,eyes, f, or other equivalent means for the connection therewith of thestrap, g, which by its end portions is connected to said intermediateparts of the separable collar members. The members are so constructed atthe hinge, that when swung open as shown in Fig. 1, and as illustratedalso in the enlarged view Fig. 5 a line between the points of engagementof the strap, g, with the collar members, atf,will be slightly above thepivot, (1. Thus when the collar is open as shown in Fig. l andsuspended, the draft or tension on the cord or strap, g, being equal tothe whole weight of the collar, there will be no tendency of the hingedmembers to swing downwardly, but immediately the parts of the collarmembers are moved so that the pivotal point, (I, is -above the said linebetween the points of stipporting connection, the collar willimmediately from the preponderance of weight at the free extremities ofits members that is between the points,f, and the free ends closetogether and become antomatically secured by the engagement of the partsof the catch device provided at the free ends of the hames. On theforcing of the pivotal point above said line, 1 y, as by the upwardpressure against one or the other of the members, occasioned by thecontact thereon by the horses neck or otherwise, the closing willimmediately be effected, without the removal of the ring, h, from thehook or support therefor, for the preponderating lower ends, on thedown-swinging of the collar members will more than counterbalance theweight of the portions above the eyes, f, and the collar will bodilyrise slightly in order to permit the specified movements if the supportfor the ring, it, is not lowered. In practice, however at the time analarm is struck, as the harness is applied the support, It, is under theexisting arrangements, lowered as the collar is applied, and finally thering, h, is detached from the hook, the strap being regarded as afixture of the collar, although when desired it may be disconnectedtherefrom by -releasing the engagement of the snap-hooks, i.

In the making up of the collar, in conjunction with the hames if it isdesired that a somewhat longer collar be provided, the same may beconstructed, with hames of the given length, by adjusting the metallicstrips, 11 b, so as to have a proper degree of extension beyond theupper ends of the hames, as may readily be done by loosening the bolts,e,sliding up the strips, 1) b, and resecuring the bolts, the padded orcushioned parts of the collar being correspondingly fitted.

In order that the pivotal point, d, may have a position when the partsof the collar are opened, more or less, as desired, below the said line,y y, between the points of support,the adjusting screw, j, is provided,the same entering with a screw engagement into one of the strips, Z),near the pivot, as shown more particularly in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, and allso that when the parts are opened the head of the screw on the onecollar member will come to a contact more or less quickly with a partadjacent the pivot on the other member. It will be plain that the screw,j, may be so adjusted that the pivotal point, (1, may be so nearly inthe line between the points of support that the slightest upwardpressure against the parts of the collar above the points of supportwill be required to effect the closing, or on the other hand the screwmay be so adjusted that comparatively much more movement will berequired to effectthe closing.

Each hame at its lower extremity is bushed with a metallic casting, theone D having its extremity constituted by the double hooked tongue,171., while the other casting is formed with the socket, n. The oppositeside Walls of the socket are apertured as at 70, set within whichapertures are the dogs, 0 0, which are hung on the pivot stud, p,therefor and near their extremities the said dogs are" formed with thehooks q, for engaging the hook, m, which is provided upon the othercasting.

The said dogs, 0 0, are maintained in their innermost dispositions asshown in Fig. 8 by the springs, s. As shown, each of these springscomprises an intermediate coil and the legs extended therefrom; and thecoil is mounted upon the pivot stud for the dog, one leg being extendedto lie against the extension arm, '0, of the said dog, the other springleg being held in the proper tension by the stop-pin, t. The portion ofthe dog which engages the pivot stud, p, therefor, is formed with theseparated ear-pieces, 10, within the intermediate space between whichear-pieces the spring is compactly located.

It will be apparent that the ends of the collar on coming together willbe automatically locked, and securely maintained in their engagement bythe catch devices describechbut on desiring to open the parts, such mayreadily be done by pressing on the portions, 22 o, of the springconstrained dogs, when thehooks, q, will disengage from the double hook,m.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A collar formed of two members pivoted together at their upperextremities and a supporting strap or the like, connected, for thesupport of the collar, to said members at intermediate points thereof,and an adjustable stop adjacent the hinge for regulating the extent ofopening of the said members whereby the collar may, by said strap, besuspended opened, having its point of hinge connection, as desired ingreater or less proximity to a line between the said points of supportsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A collar formed of two members pivoted together at their upperextremities and a supporting strap or the like, connected, for thesupport of the collar, to said members at intel-mediate points thereof,and an adjustable stop adjacent the hinge for regulating the extent ofopening of the said members, whereby the collar, may, by said strap, besuspended opened, having its point of hinge connection, as desired ingreater or less proximity to a line between the said points of support,and asnap catch applied for connecting the separable ends of themembers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY W. ROSS. \Vitnesses:

WM. S. BELLoWs, H. A. OHAPIN.

ICO

